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METHOD OP SBALINGBNVELOPES.

(No Model.)

Patented July 17, 1888.

N4 PETERS. Pnnmurhugphur. washington, uc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. RUTTNER, OE sAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA.

yMETHOD OF SE'ALIN'G ENVELOPES;

SPECIFIGATIQN formingpart ofLetters Patent No. 281,448, dated July 17, 1883. Applicationl filed October 31, 1882. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t Indy concern/.- l

Be it known that I, HENRY A. BUTTNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at San Quentin, in the county of Marin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Sealing Envelopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved methj od of sealing envelopes 5 and it consists inY passing a tool which is provided with cutters over the sealed portion of the envelope, so as to cut through the paper and the adhesive material which secures the parts to each other, solas to leave corresponding` indentations on the parts for the purpose vof detecting whether the envelope has been tampered with in transit; andit is intended to afford a cheap substitute for the seals and more expensive safeguards that are now used in transmitting valuable letters and express envelopes.

In the annexed drawings I have shown in Figure 1 a tool for indenting or cutting the envelopes. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an envelope, showing the perforations; and Fig. 3

is a similar view, showing the appearance "of v the indentations after the envelope has beenopened and resealed. Y

A represents the handle of the tool, which is bifurcated at its lower end for the reception of a suitable rotary cutter, which is provided y on its periphery with cutters' or knives of a sufficient length to cut through the sealed portionofthe envelope. These knives or cutters may be shaped so that when they are pressed up on the paper they will leave suitably-shaped indentations,as a series of letters which will form words or other suitable emblems.

terial by which the flap is secured to the body of the envelope, making a series of clean cuts, the paper being depressed on the inner side of the lower sheet.

If any attempt is made to open the envelope by moistening the adhesive material which unites the parts and then closing the same, it

will be readiIydetected, as when the parts have been once detached the cut will become closed, and it is difficult toplace them together so that they` will correspond with each other.- The receiver of an'envelope so protected can readily tell if it has' been tampered with by the appearance of the indentations, and for valuable packages or letters the receiver will ordinarily be requested to open the same at the end or side, as is usually the case with valuable express packages which are sealed by sealing-wax, and to retain the envelope if the contents are not as represented. It is evident that this means of protecting the contents of an envelope is cheap and efficient, as no materialas sealingwax-is employed to accomplish the desired end, and that the same may cheaply and readily be employed by post-offices in the transmission of registered and valuable letters. t

In vcase lthe rotary knives ory cutters are made for post-office use, they maybe provided with cutters in the form of letters, which willv impress the name of the post-ofiice. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improved method of sealingenvelopes herein described, which consists in first sealing the flap and then indenting and cutting the sealed -portion through the iiap, adhesive material, and the part of the envelope to which the flap is secured, forv the purpose of detecting if Vthe seal has been tampered with, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

e HENRY A. RUTTNER.

Witnesses: A. G. HINMAN,

FREI'DERIOK WOOD. 

